Revision lists ("ревизские сказки") were population censuses conducted in the Russian Empire between 1719 and 1858. The term "skazka" (meaning "list" in this context) comes from the verb "to say" since officials recorded information based on verbal responses from those surveyed.[1]They were primarily used for taxation and military conscription purposes. These records listed taxable individuals, primarily male heads of households, along with family members, including women and children. The revision lists documented individuals by name (including given name, patronymic, and surname), age, and their relationship to the head of the household. While both men and women were recorded, summary tables typically excluded women.
In urban areas, city government officials were responsible for compiling the lists. In cases where the lists included peasants, landlords oversaw the enumeration of their serfs.The lists served as a key administrative tool for the government to track and regulate the population, particularly peasants and urban dwellers subject to taxation and military service.
Because of the time gaps between revisions, individuals were legally considered alive until their status was officially updated in a new census. As a result, many deceased individuals remained recorded as living, referred to as "revision souls." This often led to higher taxes and inflated estate values for their families.
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History of revision lists
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The Russian Empire conducted ten official population revisions, starting in 1719 under Peter the Great and continuing until 1858. The purpose of these revisions evolved over time, but they remained an essential mechanism for state control.
1. 1719–1724 – The first general census aimed at reorganizing taxation from household-based to per capita (poll tax). A total of 5.4 million "souls" of men.
2. 1743–1747 – Refinement of the tax system and military conscription.
3. 1762–1767 – Introduction of noble and clergy exemptions. For the first time the census counted women, with a listing of their name, patronymic, age, and town of origin.
4. 1781–1783 – Systematization of records and differentiation between social classes were introduced for the first time.
5. 1794–1795 – Preparation for Napoleonic Wars, increasing tax burden. For the first time Jews were included into the census.
6. 1811 – This listing was interrupted by the invasion of Napoleon into Russia.
7. 1815–1816 – Post-war adjustments to taxation and conscription. It took ten years to finalize the census. Women's information was not updated.
8. 1833–1835 – More detailed enumeration of serfs and landowners.
9. 1850–1851 – Further refinement before the eventual abolition of serfdom.
10. 1857–1858 – The final revision before serfdom's abolition in 1861. This census was the first to include the entire population within Russian-controlled territories, encompassing Poland, Finland, Siberia, and the Caucasus. It recorded more than 23 million serfs, a figure that exceeded twice the number of male individuals documented.[2]
Each revision included detailed records of households, identifying changes such as deaths, births, relocations, and military service.
Information included in revision lists
Revision lists were compiled for a specific settlement or a part of it (if a village had multiple landowners). The header always included the date of the census, the name of the person conducting it (such as the landowner or village elder), and the secretary. For serfs, the document also recorded the full name and rank of their owner.
Starting with the third census, the revision lists adopted a standardized multi-column format. These columns included the household number, residents' names, their age from the previous census, any changes (such as death, conscription into the military, or relocation), and their current age. This format remained in use until the final revision in 1858.[1]
Revision lists provide invaluable genealogical and historical data, including:
- Full names – Typically listing heads of households, family members, and sometimes servants.
- Ages – Essential for tracking birth years and family relationships.
- Social status and occupation – Indicating whether individuals were peasants, merchants, artisans, or nobility.
- Household structure – Revealing multi-generational family units.
- Place of residence – Indicating villages, towns, and estates.
- Changes in family composition – Noting deaths, births, relocations, and military recruitment.
- Taxation and legal status – Showing liability for military conscription and taxation categories.
Since revision lists were updated periodically, they often included annotations about deaths, desertions, or relocations between revisions. This makes them a crucial source for tracing ancestors in the Russian Empire, especially in regions such as Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Moldova.
See also
Explore more about revision lists
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